


Words, Words, Words

by Corvin



Category: Kingsman: The Secret Service (2015)
Genre: Fluff, Library, M/M, semi-preslash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-20
Updated: 2015-03-20
Packaged: 2018-03-18 18:15:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,861
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3579174
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Corvin/pseuds/Corvin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Harry works undercover at a library and gains a secret admirer.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Words, Words, Words

**Author's Note:**

> Based off of tumblr post: Person A works in a library, and person B sends love letters, poems, drawings, etc. through the book return chute all the time when they know person A is working.
> 
> With all the sad headcanons that fly rampant every now and then, I needed to ease my soul with fluff, and this idea was too cute. (sorry for not doing the adorable-ness any real justice.)

When Harry was given his assignment to pose as a librarian for a week, he was quietly excited. He was the first son of a wealthy family, so even if he hadn’t been recruited into the Kingsman he would have likely never enjoyed such a quiet profession. And for all that Harry genuinely enjoys his work as Galahad; he still takes a simple pleasure in the quiet atmosphere and smell of books.

 

It also lends to seeing more interesting people than he would have thought. Sure, he watched for his mark, supposedly a woman with a subtle tattoo of a fish on the back of her neck, checking out CS Lewis’ lesser known title “Out of the Silent Planet.” But as he waited, he saw a parade of people, all of different ages, from an elderly woman, completely unashamed to be checking out a Kama Sutra, to a young chav blushing as he asked for a DVD copy of My Fair Lady.

 

Harry had just sat down, after taking a lovely lunch at the corner café a few blocks away. He’d discovered it yesterday and had been looking forward to trying one of their delicious looking pastries.

 

He’d just finished punching in when he noticed folded piece of lined paper in the return chute of the books. Harry picked it up, raising an eyebrow at the scribbled note.

 

_To the bloke w/ the glasses ur fit_

He’d received his fair share of love notes before, assuming Harry was the ‘bloke with the glasses’, but none of them had been quite this succinct.

 

[ _“Poetry, isn’t it?”_ ]

 

“It most certainly is,” Harry whispered back. “I haven’t had a secret admirer since primary.”

 

He folded the note back up and tossed it into the rubbish bin under his desk.  His posture was always impeccable, but Harry felt he sat up a bit straighter for the rest of the day. It was nice to be appreciated.

 

-

 

The next day Harry was shelving books. He worked with a much younger woman in a pink cardigan, but she seemed distracted, watching a familiar looking young man in a white cap with winged shoes. Harry was content leaving her to her infatuation, it must be nice to be young.

 

He was in the Non-Fiction section, putting an obscenely large book on the top shelf. There was a cut off choked noise behind him, and for a moment Harry was worried his holster might be visible. But the cardigan, which he wore in lieu of a  jacket because it seemed more librarian, was still buttoned.

 

Harry brought his arm down and slowly turned. Whoever had been there, on the other side of the bookshelf had dashed away. But they left behind another sheet of lined paper. Harry blinked, “Merlin?”

 

[ _“I didn’t see them.”_ ]

 

He didn’t want to embarrass his admirer, so Harry tucked the paper in his pocket until he got back to his desk. When he opened it, his soft smile froze, but Merlin burst out laughing in his ear.

 

It’s a picture of him, drawn clumsy but with obvious care if the eraser marks all over the paper are any indication. He could hear Merlin calling someone over to see, so he folded the paper back up. The idea of mocking a sincere gesture is beneath a gentleman.

 

Even if it was…a very unexpected picture. How old must his admirer be? Unless it was some sort of bet or prank on the old man working in the library.

 

Just in case, Harry tucked the paper into the breast pocket of his shirt.

 

-

 

There was a lull in the middle of the week. Harry’s mark had yet to make her appearance, and it seemed no one wanted to check out books, they weren’t even tempted by the free films.

 

Their only patron was a young man, who Harry definitely recognized from the previous day, milling around the periodicals. Barbara, who was wearing a striking red dress that day, was in the back refreshing her makeup. Harry was going through the books from the chute, logging them all back in on the computer.

 

It was terribly slow compared to what he was used to. Sometimes he truly pitied people who didn’t have Kingsman technology. How did they ever get anything done?

 

He opened the last book to check the inside of the cover and paused. There was another piece of paper.

 

[ _“Please be another drawing.”_ ]

 

Harry hissed at Merlin to be quiet and he opened the paper. Once again there were eraser marks and indentations of all the sender’s first attempts. Halfway down the page it simply stated:

 

_I like ur face_

“There’s no way this is serious.” Harry quietly tossed the note into the bin. He might have thought the first two times was a bit cute, but he knew when someone was having one on.

 

The young man seemed to have finally chosen something. He tossed a book on the counter. “Hey bruv.”

 

Harry looked at him over the rim of his glasses and the young man flushed. “Sorry,” he muttered, “er, sir?”

 

Harry chuckled and took the book, an encyclopedia of dogs; “Good afternoon to you too.” He took the young man’s, Eggsy from the card, library card and scanned it. “Are you working on some sort of school project?”

 

“Sorry?” Eggsy took the book and blinked down at it.

 

“You’ve been in here every day this week. I assumed it was for school.” Harry didn’t like to make assumptions about people, but he couldn’t think of many reasons to see someone who looked like Eggsy in a library.

 

“School? Mate, I’m twenty-two!” Eggsy protested. He turned an impressive shade of red as he jerked his cap off. Harry very nearly laughed, but the poor lad looked about ready to keel over.

 

Then again, Harry thought taking in his embarrassment, there was the obvious reason. Barbara would be quite happy to know her feelings were returned. “Of course, forgive me.” Harry leaned in conspiratorially with a smirk. “You just have a particular love of the written word.”

 

“S’alright,” Eggsy muttered, holding the book to his chest. “You uh, you work here every day too, yeah?”

 

“I do.” Harry still had one more cart of books to reshelf but Eggsy seemed determined to stand around waiting for Barbara. He relaxed back into his chair. “Something to while away the hours in my old age.”

 

“You ain’t that old,” Eggsy protested. Harry raised his eyebrows and Eggsy sputtered. “I mean not old, not at, uh.”

 

He looked away rubbing his neck. “Sorry, ‘m usually a little better at this… I’m Eggsy.”

 

“My name is Harry, a pleasure. And not to worry, I’ll make it easy for you.” Harry stood and straightened his sweater. Eggsy only looked more flustered, so he elaborated. “I’ll just see to this cart; the lovely girl in the back will be returning shortly.”

 

He pushed the cart away, feeling rather proud of himself. He may be sitting around waiting for a mark, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t encourage a bit of young love.

 

[ _“They’re so young. I hate them.”_ ]

 

-

 

The fourth day Harry was reading the latest note.

 

_I like u u daft prick ): <_

[ _“I’m starting to wonder a little about this admirer of yours.”_ ]

 

Harry was too, but then at long last he spotted a colorful fishtail sticking out from behind a woman’s blonde hair. “I’ve spotted the mark; do you see her?”

 

[ _“Confirmed.”_ ]

 

Harry cast a glance around the rest of the library, there was only a mother and child reading a Paddington book, and Eggsy per usual, poking at some comics in Teen Fiction.

 

The mark returned after a few minutes, holding the book within a small stack of others. When Harry scanned her card it registered under ‘Jan V. Dyne.’ Classic.

 

He rose silently after she left, going through the back so he could change into his suit jacket. Merlin kept tabs on her via the cameras in the parking lot.

 

“Which car, Merlin?”

 

[ _“Blue sedan, shoot on sight, take the book. I have a clean-up crew en route.]_

“Thank you, Merlin.”

 

Harry strolled through the parking lot, making a beeline for the blue sedan. The mark was flipping frantically through the pages of Out of the Silent Planet. He walked straight to the car, opened the door and put a bullet through the side of her head. Then he snatched up the book, and strolled away.

 

-

 

The next day Harry was sitting at the café one more time. After a mission well completed, he decided to treat himself to a cheerful brunch of crepes and tea.

 

He would miss the library a bit, would wonder if Eggsy ever got the nerve to ask Barbara out, but it was all for the best. The world was a bit safer and—

 

“Oi!”

 

Harry paused mid-sip and looked up. “Ah, Eggsy.” The young man was stalking up to his table, face redder than ever. Harry recovered his composure and smiled pleasantly. “How are you?”

 

“’M fine, ta.” Eggsy stopped short, hovering at the table. He was wearing those winged shoes again, they were rather delightful in a garish sort of way. He gestured to the chair across from Harry. “Er, can I?”

 

“Please.” Harry set his cup down and laced his fingers. “I’m surprised to see you out and about. Shouldn’t you be at the library?”

 

“Shouldn’t you?” Eggsy sniffed as he sat. “Thought you said you was workin’ there every day.”

 

“Oh yes, well I’m afraid it didn’t work out.” Harry shrugged. “Would you like something to drink?”

 

Eggsy’s whole countenance abruptly brightened, and he straightened his posture. “Cheers, I’ll have what you’re having.”

 

Harry looked around for the waitress. The girl was attentive, bless her, but she was inside as often as she was out. He wondered if he’d have to ask Eggsy to wait while he went in to place an order.

 

“Can I ask you something?” Eggsy fiddled with the edge of his sleeve.

 

“Of course.”

 

“Did I uh, offend you?”

 

Harry frowned. “Not at all, when would you have offended me?”

 

“Because I,” Eggsy rubbed the back of his neck. “I been sendin’ you those notes.”

 

[ _“I knew it!”_ ]

 

Harry took of his glasses and tucked them into his pocket. He thought back on the three notes and picture and had to force down a smile. He would have assumed someone a bit… Well he wasn’t sure. Eggsy was beautiful and so very young compared to Harry. “I’m afraid I don’t get the joke.”

 

“It’s not a joke, mate!” Eggsy reached out to Harry, but stopped just short of touching. “I just wanted to say, you’re gorgeous and we should go out on a date, get a pint or…something.”

 

And that was the ego booster of the century. Harry looked down at Eggsy’s hand, contemplating. “Did you actually read any of the books you checked out?”

 

“Er, yeah, since I got them. My Fair Lady was for me though.”

 

Harry chuckled quietly, and then placed his hand on Eggsy’s. Fuck it, what could one little date hurt?

 

“You know Eggsy, a pint sounds lovely.”

  

**Author's Note:**

> wrote this really late at night and had no beta, so sorry if I biffed majorly somewhere or something.


End file.
